Carbon Vs Aluminum Bike Frame

Some manufacturers offer a lifetime warranty on.
Carbon vs aluminum bike frame. Types of aluminum bike frames. On a carbon bike the catastrophic failure point is much higher than an aluminum bike due to the flex qualities of the carbon material. Aluminum frames possess the shortest fatigue life of any material used to manufacture bicycle frames. Carbon frames are typically lighter and can have a longer lifespan.
Most manufacturers provide a lifetime warranty on carbon frames. Pure aluminum isn t strong enough to use for bicycle frame building. Conversely carbon possesses the longest fatigue life. 6061 and 7005 are the most common types of aluminum used for bike frames.
Of the two 6061 is slightly better due to its lower weight. Just as one impact of this nature could break an aluminum frame and not a carbon frame repeated stresses in this manner would cause an aluminum frame to break sooner as well. When considering bikes at an equal price point an aluminum bike will generally have a nicer component spec than a carbon bike. The components factor greatly into how well a bike performs.
In many cases bike brands will offer both aluminum and carbon frame options to fit a. For high end road and racing bikes aluminum frames are a strong option when weight influences performance. As a consumer there s a balancing act between paying for frame quality and component quality. The typical aluminum frame possesses a life expectancy of five to 10 years.